The present invention relates to the field of vegetable and fruit peelers, and more specifically, a specialized safety peeler for green bananas or plantains.
Although the use of green bananas and plantains is common in Latin and South American cooking, there are no suitable implements found in the marketplace for making the preparation of this fruit easier. Plantains or green bananas have very thick skins which are generally removed prior to cooking them. In order to remove a plantain or green banana peel, the cook must first cut off either end and then attempt to carefully peel through the thick outer peel all around the fruit. Because this is a difficult, time consuming task often much of the fruit inside the peel is bruised or cut off inadvertently during the process of removing the peel. Typical safety peelers found the marketplace all have very narrow opposing, cutting edges in the peeling element, making them eminently unsuitable for cutting peels from plantains or green bananas. Such peelers are means for thin skinned fruits and vegetables, typically potatoes, carrots, apples, and the like.
Only one patent relating to plantain peelers is known, and that was U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,552 issued to Rodriguez, et al., which discloses a peeler for plantains or green bananas which has a rounded tip which may be used to shoved lengthwise between the skin and the fruit to dislodge the skin from the fruit. A curved shield is also provided to keep the peel from jamming into the user""s fingers while in use. Further a retractable cutting blade may be provided underneath the rounded tip for cutting off the ends of the fruit prior to peeling the fruit.
Other issued patents relate to the area of a variety of fruit peelers; but none of which are adaptable for use on green bananas wherein the skin is particularly tough and thick. Most safety peelers found in supermarkets, grocers and household item stores are for potatoes, carrots and other vegetables with very thin skin which is easy to peel.
One patent is disclosed for simultaneously cutting avocados and melons in U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,786 issued to Harper, utilized a curved cutting blade which is intended to be inserted between the fruit and peel and then simply rotated about the fruit by the user to quickly dislodge the peel. However, such a curved blade would not be suitable for cutting green bananas or plantains inasmuch as these fruits have a very small curvature, as compared to avocados and melons.
Another issued patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,552 issued to Papineau discloses an elongate, substantially flat implement with a tubular coring element is used for both scoring a fruit, removing its core portions and then using a rounded tip portion for insertion under the scored rind for prying a rind from the center of the fruit. While this device is well suited to peeling melons and the like, it would not be suitable for removing the skin of a plantain or green banana where the skin is thicker and tougher to remove.
Still another patent issued to Deutschmann, U.S. Pat. No. 3,571,925 discloses the use of a device for removing the skin of a fruit having a curved peeling tip mounted rotatably to a handle wherein the device simultaneously cuts a strip of skin with a pair of opposing cutter blades and lifts it away from the surface of the inner fruit. Although this device is well suited to cut and peel the skins of citrus fruit and the like, which are relatively easy to remove, it is not constructed to cut and peel green bananas or plantains which have a thicker, tougher skin to peel.
Thus, no where is seen in the prior art a safety peeler for cutting away the skins of green bananas or plantains which are thicker and tougher than most vegetables and fruits.
The present invention consists of a green banana or plantain peeler which is provided with an elongated handle and a peeling tip made from steel or other suitable hard, tough metal which is provided with a cutting slot having opposing blades. The blades are capable of rotating to make the peeling process easier for the user. Unlike standard safety peelers which have narrow slots suitable for peeling carrots, potatoes and other vegetables with thin skins, the slotted cutting elements are much more widely spaced apart so as to be suitable for cutting a very thick skin, such as may be found on green bananas and plantains. The distance between the opposing cutting blades is a relatively wide {fraction (9/32)}xe2x80x3, which is much larger than that of standard safety peelers currently found in the marketplace.
The elongate handle is preferably made from wood, but it may also be made from other materials, such as stainless steel or plastic, if desired. The handle may also be shaped so as to conform comfortably to a hand, which is an important feature in this peeler where the skins of green bananas and plantains are thicker and it takes more force to remove them than as compared to potatoes, carrots and the like. It is anticipated that the handle will be approximately 5xe2x80x3 in length in order to be comfortable to the user.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a retractable elongate cutting blade is also provided in the head portion of the device to make it easy for the user to cut off the tips of the plantain or green banana prior to peeling it. It is anticipated that this elongate, slender blade!will be made from a suitable hardened steel, such as that which is used on razor blades, box cutters and the like. It is anticipated that this elongated cutting blade is approximately 2xe2x80x3 in length when extended, with an approximate width of xe2x85x9cxe2x80x3. The cutting blade locks into place when extended by the user.
Thus, it is one primary object of the present invention to provide an improved green banana or plantain peeler, which is safe in nature and which is provided with opposing cutting elements along a slot in a piece of hardened steel.
Another primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved green banana or plantain peeler which has a rotating cutting element to allow the user to remove the peel of the fruit more easily.
Yet an additional primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved green banana or plantain peeler which has a retractable, thin cutting blade which may lock into place when fully extended and which is provided for removing the tips of the fruit prior to peeling it.
It is yet an additional primary object of the present invention to provide an improved green banana or plantain peeler with a rotating cutting element having opposing cutting blades which are spaced apart approximately {fraction (9/32)}xe2x80x3 making it suitable for peeling off the thickened skins of the fruit.
It is a further primary object of the present invention is to provide a plantain or green banana peeler which is simple in design, easy to manufacture and inexpensive, making it readily available to all consumers.